Washington · statute · Wash. Rev. Code ch. 15.17 · 20 active provisions
The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the fair and orderly marketing of fruits and vegetables in the state of Washington by establishing uniform grades and standards and by providing for the inspection of these products. This chapter is vital to protecting the national and international reputation of fruit and…
For the purpose of this chapter:(1) "Agent" means broker, commission merchant, solicitor, seller, or consignor, and any other person acting upon the actual or implied authority of another.(2) "Certification" means, but is not limited to, the issuance by the director of an inspection certificate or other official docume…
(1) The director shall enforce and carry out the provisions of this chapter and may adopt the necessary rules to carry out its purpose.(2) The director shall, whenever he or she considers the adoption of rules or amendments to existing rules, consult with growers, associations of growers or other industry associations,…
(1) The director shall adopt rules providing standards for apples, apricots, Italian prunes, peaches, sweet cherries, pears, potatoes, and asparagus and may adopt rules providing standards for any other fruit or vegetable. When establishing these standards, the director shall consider the factors of maturity, soundness…
The director may adopt any United States or other state's standard for any fruits and vegetables, if that standard is determined by the director to be substantially equivalent to or better than the standard adopted under this chapter.
It is unlawful for any person to sell for fresh consumption any fresh fruits classified as culls under the provisions of this chapter or rules adopted hereunder unless such fruit is packed in one-half bushel or one bushel wooden baskets ring faced, with the fruit in the ring face representative of the size and quality…
The director may approve and register a private grade or brand for any fruit or vegetable. The private grade or brand shall not be lower than the second grade and/or classification established under the provisions of this chapter or rules adopted under this chapter for the fruit or vegetable.
(1) Any person financially interested in any fruits or vegetables in this state may request inspection and/or certification services provided for those fruits or vegetables under this chapter.(2) To facilitate the movement or sale of fruits and vegetables or other agricultural commodities, the director may provide, if…
Any shipper or packer of apples, apricots, cherries, pears, peaches, Italian prunes, potatoes, or asparagus may petition the director for authority to issue certificates of compliance for each season. The director may issue certificate of compliance agreements, granting this authority, on terms and conditions defined b…
The director shall adopt rules establishing the necessary fees to recover the costs of providing inspection and/or certification or other requested services.(1) The fees are due and payable upon billing.(2) A late fee of one and one-half percent per month on the unpaid balance shall be assessed against persons more tha…
Every inspection certificate or other official document issued by the director under the provisions of this chapter shall be received in all the courts of the state as prima facie evidence of the statements therein.
The director may enter during business hours and inspect any facility where any fruits or vegetables are processed, stored, packed, delivered for shipment, loaded, shipped, being transported, or sold, and may inspect all fruits or vegetables and the containers and the equipment in that facility. The director may take f…
(1) For the purposes of this section, "lot" means any lot or any part of a lot.(2) When the director determines that any lot of fruits or vegetables fails to comply with the requirements of this chapter, the director may issue a hold order prohibiting the sale or movement of that lot except under conditions that may be…
It is unlawful:(1) To sell any fruits or vegetables:(a) As meeting the standards for any fruit or vegetable as prescribed by the director unless they in fact do so;(b) For which no standards have been established under this chapter unless ninety percent or more by weight or count, as determined by the director, are fre…
(1) This chapter does not apply:(a) To the movement in bulk of any fruits or vegetables from the premises where they are grown or produced to a packing shed, warehouse, or processing plant for the purpose of storing, grading, packing, labeling, or processing prior to entering commercial channels for wholesale or retail…
(1) The fruit and vegetable inspection account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All fees collected under this chapter must be deposited into the account. The director may authorize expenditures from the account solely for the implementation and enforcement of this chapter and any other expenditures aut…
The director may bring an action to enjoin the violation of any provision of this chapter or rule adopted pursuant to this chapter in the superior court of Thurston county or of any county in which such violation occurs, notwithstanding the existence of other remedies at law.
The director may cooperate with and enter into agreements with governmental agencies of this state, other states, and agencies of federal government in order to carry out the purpose and provisions of this chapter.
Any person who violates this chapter or rules adopted under this chapter may be subject to:(1) Suspension of any compliance agreement under this chapter to which the person is a party for a period not to exceed twelve consecutive months; and/or(2) A civil penalty in an amount of not more than one thousand dollars for e…
The provisions of this chapter shall be cumulative and nonexclusive and shall not affect any other remedy.